Self-laying traction-track.



W. E. BASSETT. SELF LAYING TRACTION TRACK. APPLICATION FILED AUG-19, I914.

Patented June 22, 1915.

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SELF-LAYING TBAGTION-TRAG'K.

Specification of Letters Eat'ent.

Patented June 22, 1915.

v.a lu-"aucm filed August is, 1914. Serial No. 857,494.

To'all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, Winner; E. Bassnrr, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Fresno, in the county of Fresno and State of California, have invented a new and Improved Self-Laying Traction-Track, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates more particularly to endless self-laying tracks for the'wheels of traction vehicles,

The object of the invention is to improve devices of the indicated character, to the end that eiiiciency in operation may be prometed, as well as simplicity of construction and convenience in the assembling and renewal of the parts.

The invention will be particularly explained int-he specific description following.

Reference is to be'had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure l is a side elevation of the traction track constructed in accordance with my invention, showin' theapplication of the same to a pair 0 vehicle wheels- Fig. 2 is a side elevation of two adjacentlinks, illustrating the manner of assembling the same; Fig. 3 is a side elevation of two assembled links, together with a special shoe employed in connection with the linksto form the tread surface Fig. 4 is a cross section on the line sil of Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a top plan view of one of the links; Fig. 6 is a topplanview of one of the shoes; Fig. 7 is a fragmentary end view of a link employed to couple the ends of the chain; ahd Fig. 8 is a side -elevation of the link shown in'Fig. 7.

1n constructinga track in accordance with the illustrated example, a, mries of links 10 are provided, and each link is formed at one end with laterally spaced hooks 11. At the opposite end each link lO-is formed with a cross bar 12, to engage the hooks ll of an adjacent link. The bar 12 is supported front the adjacent end of the link by a Web 13 disposed centrally of the said bar, whereby the ends of the bar project laterally in the form of hinge pintles. At the ou-lxzr' sides the hooks 11 present inclined sockets or slots 14, which are disposed at an inclination to the is not possible. To efiect the described comnection-of the links, the ends of the ribs 15 adjacent tothe pivot bar 12 overhang the ends of the latter and are spaced therefrom, and curved surfaces 1'7 are produced on the links at the outer side of the said projecting members of the ribs, the curves being struck from the center of the bar 12. The exterior surfaces of the hooks 11 are similarly curved. The slots id have inclined rear walls 18, the inclined surface being continued across the link, as indicated in Fig. '5; also the upper surfaces of the outer ends of the ribs 15 are beveled, as z t-19.

With the described construction. the links are assembled by bringing them to an angle with each other, as in Fig. '2, so that the slots lei will be 'alined with the webs 13 supporting the pivot bars 12, said webs being inclined to the longitudinal direction or the links. The pivot bars 12 of one link may now be entered in the slots 14 of the adjacent link, whereupon the respective links are brought into longitudinal alineinent as in Fig. 3, which brings the backs of the hooks 11 beneath the curved overlapping surfaces 17, so that a separating movement of the links is not possible.

In connection with the links as described, I employ a separate shoe 9.0 beneath each -link Said-shoes is formed at the inner side with spaced lugs-21 which receive a transverse-pin 22, said pin passing also through a transverse rib 23 on the outer side of the link 10. The said rib 23 is received-in a depression 24 produced in the inner side of the shce 20 between the lugs 21. The pins 22 are shown as headed at one end and fastened at the other end by cotter pins, one of Which. is indicated in Fig. 4. The lugs'21 and the rib 28 are disposed on the shoe and link, be

tween the ends thereof, preferably at the center. The shoes present end surfaces constituting the tread or traction surface of,

the track, and they are so formed relatively to the ends of the links, and the pivot elements of the latter, that the shoes close the slots 14 of the links, with the purpose of excluding dirt and grit from the joints. The

end of each shoe presents lateral members 20 (see Figs. 1 and 3) overlapping the joints of the'links, and the inner'surfaces of these bverlapping members 20 are concaved,

It will be clear'from the above description that for the disconnection of a particularlink, a shoe 20 must be removed, and then the links brought to a position at a sharp angle to each other to permit 'a separating movement of the links. Thus the accidental disconnection of the links is made. impossible, while repair or renewal of a link may be'efl'ected with facility. and despatch. A special link isprovided for the meeting ends of the rail after the assemblage of ters Patent:

the links 10,-the special link being necessary,

as the connecting link must be inlongitudinal .alinement with forming the final chain on the'wheelswouldresult. The spe cial link, designatedby the character 10* is shown in Figs. 7 and 8.- At oneend it is provided with hooks 11 identical with those on the links 10. The link 10*. furthermore has the ribs 15 formed as described. The end of the link lofhowever, opposite the hooks 11, instead of having a hinge bar 12 presenting laterally projecting hinge membersand a web 13,'is provided with-a hinge member or knuckle member 12 disposed centrally thereon, and is adapted to be received in the space 11? (Fig. 5) between adjacent hooks'll; thus a link 10 and a link 1.0 may be brought together by a longitudinal movement thereof and with the links in the same plane until a transverse bore 12 (Fig. 8) in the knuckle member 12", registers with the slots 14: in a pair of hooks 11. The knuckle 12 and hooks 11 are now united by a hinge pin 26 (Fig. 1) corresponding with the pins 22 and fastened by a cotter pin 26.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new, and desire to secure by Let- 1. In a traction chain, a se1-iee of links,

hooks presenting slots at the links and the adjacentlinks in J pivot or hinge oint of the chain, sinceotherwise alooseness of the ends of the sh one and with presenting open slots, the opposite the hooks of the latter, and detachable shoes on the links, one end of the shoe forming the closure of theslots .at an end of the link and overlapping, adjacent hinge elements, and POSRlOZIBd to close the slots in the next link.

In a traction chain, able shoes,

clined to the longitudinal direction of the links, and a hinge bar at of each tles, the shoes overlapping the links closing the slots in adjacent links. 1

a traction chain, links having at one end hinge elements in located near the sides of the link, the backs of the hooks being rounded, and said hooks presenting slots at an angle to the longi-' tudinal direction of the links, the opposite end of each link having a hinge bar present-,

ing laterally projecting pintles received i: the slots of an adjacent link, and shoes having ends overlapping the hinge menbersef closing the slots 'ofth s respective links. l

4.; In a traction chain, a series of ivotally connected links having .riblset the inner side forming a channel for wheels, nd hav: ing tran ,verse ribs; at the outer sides, shoes at the opposite (end, the

the opposite end link presenting lateral hinge ipinand links, and detachthe links having at one end,

the under side in 8 theform of hooks on the links at the outer sides thereof,

flanges on the shoesbetween which the ribs on the links are received, and a transverse pin un' ting the said ribs and flanges, the es overlapping the pivots of the links.-

5. In a traction chain, end with hooks and at the opposite end with outwardly projecting hinge pintles adapted vto be received in the hooks of all adjacent link, the said hooks being rounded on the exterior surface and presentingslots for the entrance of the pintles, the ends of the links adjacent to the pintles I and presenting opposed rounded surfaces,

links formed atone 4 overlying the latter the said rounded surfaces being spaced from the pintles to receive the hooks of an adjacent link, and shoes detachably secured to the links at the exterior and having overlapping members curved to conform to the curvature of the hooks.

In a traction chain, a series of links each formed at one end with. hooks rounded on the outer surface and presenting slots inclined to the longitudinal direction of the links, pintles on the opposite ends of the links receivable in said slots of adjacent links, a joining link having at one end hooks 

